Just at that moment, Van suddenly grabbed the hand Hanabi had reached out.
"Wait a moment."
"Hmm?"
"Before this deal is finalized, shouldn't you first show some sincerity? Tell me who the person behind the scenes is."
Hanabi' expression froze for a split second, then bloomed into an even brighter smile. "Dear Savior, what do you mean by that? You don't trust me~?"
She tried to pull her hand back, only to realize it was firmly restrained.
"Exactly what I said." Van raised an eyebrow. "After all, someone once told me to never trust any promise made by a masked Fool."
"Ah~ then this friend of yours must have a deep connection with the Masked Fool~" Hanabi tilted her head and smiled. "Otherwise, how could they summarize such a profound truth?"
"Who knows." Van's grip on her hand slowly tightened. "So, to ensure this deal continues, Miss Hanabi, please show me your sincerity first."
Failing again to pull her arm free, Hanabi put on a mock "defeated" expression full of grievance.
"Fine, fine~ I surrender~ I'll tell you the name of the person behind it all, but you have to keep your promise, okay~"
"Honestly, you probably already have your own guess about who it is, right? Someone who hasn't appeared yet, and someone capable of constructing such an enormous illusory space…"
Van, "..."
Just as he fell into thought, a barely noticeable trace of mockery flashed across Hanabi' eyes, but she quickly replaced it with that same pitiful expression.
"Now I've kept my promise and told you~ So, shouldn't our dear Savior also keep his word?"
Van stared at her for a few seconds before finally releasing her hand.
Hanabi' face lit up with a dazzling smile again as she reached toward his chest.
But just as her fingertips were about to touch him, Van once again seized her wrist in a firm grip.
"Oh?" Hanabi' smile didn't falter in the slightest, but a flicker of impatience flashed through her eyes. "And what does this mean~?"
"Exactly what I said, Masked Fool." Van's expression was emotionless. "I want you to say that person's name outright, not brush me off with vague words."
At that, Hanabi dropped her smile and slowly spoke, "So that's how it is… Turns out the so-called Savior is nothing more than a scumbag who toys with a girl's feelings~"
Van, unmoved by her mockery, said coldly, "Say the name, or the deal is off."
A strange silence spread between the two.
Suddenly, Hanabi lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
At first, it was a soft snicker, then it erupted into uncontrollable laughter, "Hahahahaha~ How interesting, truly too interesting~ If that's the case, then I'll tell you my choice~"
As she spoke, Hanabi abruptly raised her head, a fox mask now covering her face. "Since you want to play, I'll play with you to the very end~"
The moment her words fell, the scenery around them shattered like broken glass.
The dim hotel room turned into a massive theatrical stage.
Countless crimson goldfish swam through the air, their scales reflecting light and dyeing the entire stage an eerie red.
Van surveyed the surroundings, his voice cold. "I'm curious. When exactly did you prepare all this?"
"You want to know~" Hanabi, now masked, smiled. "Guess! I'm not telling you~"
The moment she spoke, the goldfish in the air suddenly surged toward Van in a frenzy.
Van moved to react but realized that at some point, red threads had wound tightly around his wrists.
Watching the balance of victory tilt further toward herself, Hanabi spoke with delighted satisfaction,
"My dear little bird, did your friend ever tell you? A true hunter usually appears in the guise of prey~"
"This round… I win~"
"Is that so?" Van's voice froze the entire stage in an instant.
The next second, the stage set peeled away like paper consumed by fire, scattering in ashes.
In its place was a scene of apocalypse.
Under a sky blazing blood-red, massive meteors with fiery tails streaked across the horizon. In the distance, volcanoes spewed thick, churning smoke.
Among the ruins of broken walls lay the corroded remnants of buildings ravaged by the end of the world.
It was as if the entire world had been frozen on the brink of destruction.
Seeing the world around her, for the first time, Hanabi' face revealed shock. "This… impossible. When did you… set this up?"
"Want to know? Guess."
As Van's words fell, Hanabi suddenly sensed something and looked up.
In the sky, a colossal meteor abruptly shifted its course, roaring down toward where the two of them stood, radiating pure destruction.
Hanabi tried to run, only to find herself inexplicably bound to the spot.
As the meteor crashed down, she only had time to show a look of pure astonishment before the entire space was swallowed by silence.
When the dust finally settled, Van stood amidst the ruins, his voice cold and sharp. "Stop hiding. I know little tricks like that won't work on you."
After a brief silence, Hanabi' voice echoed from all directions, though her figure was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh my~ To receive such high praise from the great Savior, I'm simply overwhelmed~"
"So then, enough small talk. Isn't it time for our second round?"
"Let's skip that~" Hanabi said playfully. "It's just a commission, after all. No need to risk my life, don't you think? Besides… I've already achieved my goal~"
Van snapped his head around and spotted, not far away, a doll shaped exactly like Hanabi that hadn't been there a moment ago.
He strode forward and picked it up, and the doll suddenly spoke,
"Alright, little bird, let's end our little duel here for now~ Hope you like the gift I left you. Until next time… no, better yet, let's never meet again~"
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